All Spain articles
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M&A
Vodafone’s European retrench continues: Italian retreat gets final regulatory nods
Authorities rubber-stamp Swisscom’s acquisition of Vodafone Italy, pushing Margherita Della Valle’s ‘right-sized’ vision closer. By mid-2025, with €36bn+ bagged over 12 months, what’s in store for the far from insignificant remnants of rump Europe, developing market, digital infra, jazzed-up central function, and other assets and stakes? Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: fresh infra deals unwrapped; new execs take the reins
Group secures agreements to upgrade mobile and IT in Germany, Peru, and Spain. In Brazil, Vivo finalises long-sought-after deal to ease financial and regulatory obligations associated with fixed-line telephony…
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People
Telefónica Peoplewatch: Bluevía names fresh CEO to manage strategy transition
Recent strategic and senior leadership changes at Telefónica include Group CTIO Enrique Blanco and strategy lead Mark Evans preparing to step down from Executive Committee in early-2025; and Spain fibre JV Bluevía appointing new CEO…
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People
Telefónica Vice-Chairman Javier Echenique dies at 74
Operator’s CEO Álvarez-Pallete laments loss of Echenique in same year as death of former Group Chairman César Alierta.
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: rivals crash Group’s regulatory party; networks to get autonomous upgrade
Group CEO José María Álvarez-Pallete calls for greater deregulation in Europe despite seeing rays of hope shining through, as recent regulatory wins in Colombia and Spain grind to a halt. Meanwhile, Telefónica’s networks set to gain further autonomy starting in 2025. Read more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Spain’s big-three take home extra rural 5G SA cash — report
MásOrange, Telefónica España, and Vodafone Spain reportedly share financing from second UNICO-5G Redes Activas tender, enabling operators to build more than 9,000 new 5G SA sites in rural areas. Read more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Vantage Towers looks to shared urban infra for new growth opportunities
Electric vehicle charging has sparked potential new services and customers for European TowerCo Vantage Towers, but in-building and shared urban infrastructure remain priorities for growth.
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Network & Infrastructure
Telefónica shifts autonomous networks strategy into fourth gear
Network and systems operations lead says Group is seeking to evolve many autonomous network PoCs into minimum viable products starting in 2025, as it seeks to accelerate its journey towards Level 4 autonomy. Read more…
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Public Affairs
Exasperated telco CEOs mulled strike action to drive EU regulatory change: Orange’s Heydemann
Orange CEO says the concept of a CEO strike came up in discussions over how to change European regulators’ mindset towards sector, although concedes impracticality of such a move.
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People
Telefónica’s long-time CTIO Enrique Blanco to retire in 2025
Spanish telco rings in 2025 with executive changes to replace Global CTIO Enrique Blanco and Chief Strategy and Development Officer Mark Evans, who are leaving the company.
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Network & Infrastructure
Rivals rail against CNMC plans to amend Telefónica regulations – report
Spanish regulator is consulting on raising prices for duct access and making the methodology underpinning economic replicability tests more “flexible”. Read more…
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Products & Services
Telefónica's confidence on display with Spain price increases — report
Operator reportedly preparing to implement annual price increases at the start of 2025, with similar hikes as seen in January 2024. Convergence, SIM-only, and TV services included in move, which marks display of confidence from Telefónica as rivals attempt to up the competition from rivals. Read more…
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Network & Infrastructure
Pontegadea said to mull stake in Telefónica–Vodafone FibreCo
Telefónica’s Telxius partner joins growing group of investment firms reportedly interested in fibre JV. Vodafone also said to be attracting investor interest in separate venture with MásOrange. Read more…
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Venturing & Investments
Telefónica eyes insurtech expansion after Repihogar investment
Group claims contribution to €500,000 funding round for Argentine insurtech player, made through Íope Ventures unit, is part of ongoing investment in fintech space. Operator also seeks to enable commercial synergies between Repihogar and other portfolio businesses. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: AI cauldron keeps bubbling; Peru remains troubling
Group to conjure up fresh AI use-cases in Madrid alongside the government, with hopes of finding new implementations in public sector. Things are less rosy in Peru, where the operator is set to call off its new FibreCo joint venture with Entel and KKR. Read more…
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People
Telefónica Peoplewatch: Tech reshuffles management to aid expansion
20+ senior and strategic leadership changes at Telefónica, including digital B2B services unit naming new BizApps and cybersecurity leaders; Mallik Rao adding enterprise to tech mission; and new Chilean B2B director landing a spot at Spain’s chamber of commerce in Chile…
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Partnerships & Alliances
Telefónica hunts for fresh AI use-cases in Madrid
Group teams up with Madrid’s local government to explore potential AI use-cases in public sector, with a view to drive efficiency and scale the technology securely. Move adds to Telefónica’s growing list of AI initiatives, contributing to three-year strategic aims. Read more…
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Weekly Briefings
Orangewatch Weekly: putting AI and APIs to work
Latest from Orange, with updates from the Group’s recent OpenTech event including GenAI tools for enterprises, moves to develop LLMs to support African languages, and more on network APIs
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Weekly Briefings
Telefónicawatch Weekly: Spanish incumbents remain under siege; VM O2 executes on digital strategy
Q3 financials acknowledge tough domestic competition, notably rising menace Digi. Across the water, Virgin Media O2 doubles up on digital with a range of fresh services (and a new network)…
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M&A
stc eyes Spain expansion after Telefónica stake buy approval
Saudi telco gets Spanish government’s blessing to increase Telefónica holding to 9.9%, more than a year after making its entrance as a stakeholder. stc also considering further investment in Spain, and elsewhere in Europe. Read more…